BALTIMORE — Underdog former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley officially launched his presidential campaign Saturday with a takedown of the “bullies of Wall Street” — a line of attack meant to link Hillary Clinton to the financial industry and its misdeeds.

O’Malley blasted Goldman Sachs – a top supporter of the Clintons.

“Goldman Sachs is one of the biggest repeat-offending investment banks in America,” said O’Malley. “Recently, the CEO of Goldman Sachs let his employees know that he’d be just fine with either Bush or Clinton.

“I bet he would,” O’Malley quipped. “Well, I’ve got news for the bullies of Wall Street: The presidency is not a crown to be passed back and forth by you between two royal families.”

Clinton has given paid speeches to Goldman employees, and the firm gave up to $500,000 to the Clinton family foundation.

Speaking on Federal Hill overlooking Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, O’Malley slammed institutions for “catering to the voices of the privileged and the powerful.”

O’Malley vowed to “prosecute cheats,” and bemoaned the fact that no bank heads responsible for the financial crisis have been prosecuted.

“Tell me how it is that not a single Wall Street CEO was convicted of a crime related to the 2008 economic meltdown,” O’Malley continued, making one of the left’s most fervent criticisms of the Obama administration, as he addressed a crowd of several hundred supporters.

O’Malley’s tough talk on Wall Street comes as self-described independent socialist Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont has seen a surprising jump in support, and is currently the closest rival to Clinton for the Democratic nomination.

The picturesque rally had a glitch when the sound went out during a “special video presentation” lauding O’Malley. The crowd drowned out the awkward silence by chanting the former Baltimore mayor’s name.

Even O’Malley backers acknowledge the difficulty of taking on the Clinton machine. O’Malley is currently polling at about 1 percent.

“It’s an uphill battle, but it’s a good fight. He’s always fought the good fight,” said Sen. Nathaniel McFadden, president pro tem of the state the Senate.

“It’s a long shot. I’m realistic,” said May Shing, a financial analyst. “I want to support someone local. He can get enough votes to influence Hillary.”

The 52-year-old O’Malley — who was Baltimore’s mayor from 1999 until his election as governor in 2006 — spoke about last month’s “heartbreaking” riots in the city after the shooting of Freddie Gray. A protester yelled and held a sign about “killer cops.”

O’Malley was known for his tough-on-crime, “zero tolerance” policies that led to large numbers of arrests for minor offenses. Critics say it sowed distrust between police and the black community. Supporters note the overall decrease in violent crime during his tenure.

He sprinkled his remarks with Kennedy-style rhetoric and promised to “rebuild the American Dream in our time.”

O’Malley has made frequent visits in recent months to early-voting Iowa, where he was headed later Saturday, and New Hampshire, his destination Sunday.

O’Malley could soon be joined in the Democratic field by former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, who plans to make an announcement next week, and former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, who is exploring a potential campaign.